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waaza

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    http://cumbrianfoodlab.blogspot.com/

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    English Lake District, Cumbria, UK

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  1. I would say most of the pork (if British, but also imported) is fairly bland, certainly less flavoursome than local lamb, and I would recommend anyone contemplating a true vindaloo to consider a rare breed source of pork. In Oz, you have 'roo or even emu. The meat needs to be a little tough, so that the long slow stewing takes its toll on the meat and renders it tender; leg meat would be prefered for this. If using duck, you will have to watch the stewing times very carefully, try a male bird if you can. cheers Waaza
  2. Well said These rickshaw drivers are always trying to outdo the stunts and skills of Evel Knievel. I dont think you will forget that experience in a hurry. ← Episure, don't you call the autorickshaw drivers 'the immortals'? remember the ride we had in Bangalore? At one time I would swear we overtook a jumbo jet taking off from the airport......... I kissed the ground when I got out, and prayed to at least a hundred thousand Hindu Gods, and I'm not even Hindu!! Waaza
  3. I have a signed copy of the book, and a good read it is too. I don't recall I said that there was one true vindaloo [recipe], my point was that it should be made with pork, or other strong tasting meat (see up thread, I mention others). The point is that there are very strong flavours in this dish, and other meats, such as chicken, and even lamb would be swamped by those spices. Indian dishes are usually very carefully cooked with subtle spicing, so as to enhance the flavours in the dish, certainly not to cover up any enjoyment of the meat or veg. If that was the intention, we would all be eating quorn . I would agree that the cuisine of India (and most other places, today and in history) have been developed, influenced, even erroded by other cultures. Witness the widespread incorporation of tomatoes and potatoes in Indian dishes, and the ubiquitous use of coriander leaf garnish, or the universal sprinkling of garam masala at the end of cooking, as if given a blessing, though this may be appropriate in some cases You may argue that, like a language, cuisines are forever changing, evolving, and that they are dynamic. I would have to agree, but then, I would also state that I believe the past is always worth preserving. Without a firm knowledge base, development can be very cyclical cheers Waaza
  4. I would say quite a few anomalies, IMHO, muichoi. Firstly, the name, it is well accepted that the dish is vindaloo, a corruption of the original recipe for vin d’alhos (various spellings) meaning wine/vinegar and garlic (no potatoes). The indigenous Goans adapted the original Portuguese dish, and the name, to give us what we have today, vindaloo. This is a perfect example of a dish which cannot (IMHO) be used for different meats. It is a pork dish, it is a stew, meaning long slow cooking, under much water based liquid, where the meat is cut into small chunks. To develop the flavours, there must be a bhuno step, because the rich meaty notes are not produced by just simmering the meat. The onions seem just to be boiled, and I think you will find the oil rises to the top almost immediately. And current wisdom suggests that marinating is done with either salt or acid present, but not both. Add salt just before serving, if you have to. As muichoi points out, the timing is too short for pork, and the amount of vinegar needs to be increased. cheers Waaza
  5. what you are describing may be milagai podi (Tamil for chilli powder). It is mix of dal and spices, and used with oil/ghee to flavour idli and similar. Look here for a recipe and use. HTH Waaza
  6. mitha ittr = extract of rose, or rose oil. Very expensive!
  7. As you have probably worked out, this is most likely a made up dish, kozhi meaning chicken and the Nilgiri hills are between Karnataka and Kerala. An 'onion, spice and herb' sauce can probably describe most 'chicken curries', so no secrets given away there. Its probably someones way of recalling a holiday in those 'Blue remembered hills' (with acknowledgement to Dennis Potter). cheers Waaza
  8. waaza

    Turmeric

    Gautam's mention of an alkali process reminded me that the yellow colouring in turmeric (curcumin) acts like an indicator of pH (acid/alkali) and changes colour from yellow to red about pH10 (can't remember exact value). It could be that the more orange the powder, the more red content. However, I have seen fresh turmeric rhizome, and it seems quite orange when fresh, so I would suggest it turns more yellow on ageing. Another interesting thing about curcumin is that it is composed of two molecules of vanillin (or very nearly), so that it is possible to derive a vanilla note from cooking turmeric. If one extracts the yellow colour (from a watery paste of turmeric) with cooking oil, after separating the two layers and letting the coloured oil layer stand for a few hours, a faint vanilla note should be detectable. cheers Waaza
  9. That is because restaurants ( 99%) make ' basic' chicken and lamb curries then 'doctor' them to produce diferent dishes on the menu. For Vindaloo they will heat the curry in a pan with some cubed fried potaoes, cayenne powder, garam masalla and some vinegar. Some restaurants will even add a drop of red food color. ← I'm afraid BBhasin is correct, vindaloo it aint. But if you want that 'pro' taste, just chuck anything in, and taste, it is what the 'pros' do. cheers Waaza
  10. jarakush is the root of the popyseed plant. (No special brains, just lucky on a google search). Available, apparently, at ayurvedic stores. Also - and this I'm sure of - khus is NOT the same as kewra. khus=vetivier is a wild grass related to lemongrass, while kewra is a large leafy flowering plant, also known as pandanus. The leaves don't carry much smell, you have to get the flower. Just to confuse things further, poppyseed is also known as khus but is not vetivier. ← I would agree that pandanus (kewra/keora) is not the same as vetiver/vetivert, (Vetiveria zizaniodes). The former has a very floral note, the latter, a very heavy dry grass smell, used in perfumes (I have some). The smell is neither pleasant nor unpleasant (in high concentration), just very heavy, like musk. Presumeably, it will lighten on dilution, as many smells do. cheers Waaza
  11. Namaste Gautam, my friend, are those 'wafers' gol gappas? cheers waaza
  12. I can't see it being turmeric. It has little smell; it is used to mask (or dissipate) off flavours of fish and chicken by rubbing a paste of it on the offending meat before cooking. The yellow colour in turmeric (curcumin) breaks down to vanillin, so no nasties there either. My guess is something sulphural, like onion, garlic and/or asaphoetida (hing) cheers Waaza
  13. maybe you mean aloo took, a Sindhi speciality?
  14. you may find helpful chillies cheers Waaza
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